After excluding myself for years, I'm watching Dancing with the Stars for the first time this season. The reality competition series (which is streaming with a Disney+ subscription) is endlessly entertaining, even if I've been annoyed by the judges every now and then. Dedication night was full of tear-jerking moments, but the internet is obsessed with Jan Ravnik's reaction upon learning that Pasha Pashkov won People's Sexiest DWTS Pro. The story behind his side eye makes the viral moment even better.
Lots of tears were shed during the most recent episode of Dancing with the Stars, which made the lighter moments stand out. That includes Pasha's crowning as People's Sexiest Pro, as well as Jan's A+ reaction. In an interview with E! News immediately after the episode, the 31-year-old dancer spoke about his viral face, offering:
I'm gonna say he does deserve it. Look at him. He's fucking hot. But not being nominated, its painful. And why the hell I'm always on camera when this is happening? Every time.
They say it's an honor just to be nominated, but unfortunately Ravnik was not even given that honor when it came to People's Sexiest Dancing with the Stars pro. Being on camera as Pashkov was given this honor was seemingly adding insult to injury. As a competitive person myself, I totally get it.
I mean, who was in charge of the nominations? Jan is an objectively handsome man, who often elicits swoons on the ballroom floor. The pro, with his partner Tatyana Ali at his side, further explained why he was so miffed by Pasha's win. As he put it:
I was never a prom king, I was never anything for this.
Even if he was semi-joking, it sounds like the Sexiest DWTS pro triggered some childhood trauma. Not only was he not nominated, but Pasha won and got his very own Prom King-esque sash while Jan was in the background watching. You can see his comments about that viral reaction below:
Given the discourse surrounding the newest episode regarding Carrie Ann Inaba and Val Chmerkovskiy, this low-stakes drama of this moment was refreshing and delightful. Jan's side-eye reaction was utterly hilarious, and clearly the internet, fans, and journalists noticed him on the side of the frame. As you can see in the above video, he seemed to have a good sense of humor about going viral, and clearly doesn't harbor any actual ill will about Pasha's victory. That being said, the two-time DWTS pro would seemingly love to be included in future competitions.
Dancing with the Stars airs Tuesdays on ABC as part of the 2026 TV schedule. We'll just have to see if Jan or Pasha end up making it further in this season's competition.
